Blog posts, thoughts, things

A photograph that made me think – the work of Tod Seelie

The photo attached is by an artist called Tod Seelie, the image made me think as it portrays an element of eeriness and solitude. The simple framing of the photo creates a great deal of contrast with detailed back ground of a bridge, what I am assuming is a motor way type road across a bridge. I find the image really interesting as the word motor-way would first sound harsh and could to me, but Tod Seelie has been able to create a beautiful image by creating a empty and peaceful space. The image matches itself on both sides which adds to the mellow tone that the image portrays.

The photo also made me think because we normally link motorways as a busy place but the fact that only one person is stood there, it creates a deep sense of contrast and loneliness, although the photo doesn’t make me feel sad it does give a chilling vibe to the audience. Overall I really like what Seelie has captured in this image and I feel his work is very interesting and engaging.

Graci Henshaw

L1 Photography – University of the West of England

A photograph that made me think – untitled by Daido Moriyama

Daido Moriyama’s work was the revolutionising how people viewed and thought about photography. As part of the Provoke photography era in Japan, his work was in a sense going backwards as he was distorting images by use of blur and push processed film creating dark and grainy images, where as the majority of photographers were looking for cleaner images. A lot of Moriyama’s work was political, looking at the westernisation of Japan post World War Two. His personal work had the same technical approach, but in terms of subject was a lot more intimate. This photograph is an example of his more intimate and personal work and one that makes me think. The subject being nude creates a sense of closeness that Moriyama has with her, yet remains distanced from her and not focusing on her face creating a mysterious image. The framing of the image also puts an interesting aspect of intimacy in place as it’s framed as a snapshot. A sudden moment in time that Moriyama has deemed worthy to document and not necessarily consider the framing of the image, and this makes me think about how this moment and image strikes Moriyama as a person and artist.

Nathan McLaren-Stewart

L1 Photography, University of the West of England

 

A photo that made me think

This is the image I have chosen by a photographer called caesar sebastian.

This image caught my eye when I first saw it and made me think. As to me this image asks questions and makes a lot of comparisons creating contrast in the image to the viewer. This pink contrasts with heavily man made pink creating a contrast between not only the two styles present but the views, this man made bright pink paint covering up her nipples and groin, like this image has to be censored by modern society to make it acceptable or appropriate, but why isn’t our own body appropriate? This to me shows modern life about made up stereotypes of whats wright and wrong in the public eye.

It has a very dreamy look to it created by using a low aperture with soft light and colour, making you have complete focus on the girl drawing you to her. Her whole relaxed posture and star at the camera make you think that she has a special connection with the person shes looking at as she seems completely comfortable in there presents.I think the pink paint also creates a really cool layer effect to the image as well as contrast which draws your eyes further.

Sam Wexham

L1 PHOTOGRAPHY UWE

A photograph that made me think – Haze Gazer by Colin Russell

This photograph, taken by Colin Russell is of a landscape of the Carraghan mountains on the Isle of Man. This image interests me because it’s clean; the misty weather conditions created an interesting composition –creating a sense of minimalism. There is a cold colour palette in the photograph, making me feel peaceful and relaxed. Hypothetically, I feel that my feelings reflect the shape of soft peaks; their gentle slopes sliding away into the visibly extinct basins of the mountains.

A strong perspective is created from this location – as the mountains are seen to slope away into the fading horizon. Russell used a 70 – 200mm lens, set at 109mm, f8, to create a rich depth of field– giving viewers the sense of a never-ending landscape.

In particular, this photograph made me think because I observed what I thought was an image artefact, or dust on the camera’s sensor. Only until I realised it was a person standing on the brow of the mountain – doing the same as Russell. This relationship between us and our surroundings gave me a sense of melancholy – it shows us how fragile life is and how the landscape rules over us and not necessarily, how we rule over it.

Josh Dury

L1 Photography, University of the West of England

 

A photograph that made me think- The Unbearable Lightness: Thea’s legs on blue, Guido Argentini

The photograph taken by Guido Argentini made me think about the story that is being portrayed in front of me. Starting with the colors that are polar opposites; having a cold blue next to a harsh red creates a confusing contrast as you don’t know whether to feel that the woman is being sexual with the red or just waiting around with the blue; but putting them together creates a calming neutral tone. The way that she is standing creates two different stories as she could be just waiting for a friend or a partner while leaning on her phone and moving her feet or a different situation is that she could be drunk just about to fall over; the way she is dresses gives off a character about her already as she is wearing pink shiny stilettos with a very short outfit as you cannot see any clothing on her body; this then made me think of ‘who is this girl, is she in trouble?’. The fact that Guido Argentini has not shown any part of identification of this woman leaves it all up to your imagination of what you want to portray her as this to me is extremely intriguing as everyone would have a different view on just one photo.

Ella Putner

L1 Photography, University Of West England

 

‘A photograph that made me think’ – ‘48’ from the series ‘On’, Eamonn Doyle

I sometimes struggle to find inspiration in a city that is familiar to me. I am more aware of my environment and engaged with my surroundings, paying more attention to what and who passes me by when I’m away from home. I am most comfortable in Dublin. This makes me think I should be more confident photographing in my home town, yet the everyday goings on can often slip by me unnoticed.

This image by Eamonn Doyle is one that caught my eye. His series ‘On’ was photographed in Dublin’s city centre. I pass buildings and people like these on a daily basis, yet have never thought to photograph them. Doyle’s use of unusual angels encourages the viewer to engage in the entire composition and not just focus on the person in the frame but the familiarity of Doyle’s subject is what I love the most. By embracing the ordinary, he captures something wonderful in what can sometimes be quite a grey city and produces images that encapsulate the modern day Dublin and it’s inhabitants beautifully. Doyle has inspired and reminded me to appreciate my home town as it is full of interesting potential subjects, truly amazing characters who make Dublin the city it is.

Ashley O’Sheehan

L1, Photography, University of the West of England